Toy



F. H. CALLAHAN.

TOY.

APPLICATION man nov.1, 1919.

1,366; 15. Patented Jan. 1s, 1921.

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`FRANCIS` HENRY CALLAHAN, 0F NEXV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent. p Patented 1L 18,` 1921.

Application filed November 7, 1919. Seria1"No. 336,367.

To allwhomt'maycoacem: f

Be it knownthat I, FRANCIS H. GALLA- i-iaN, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at" New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticuhhave in-` vented certain new andj useiul Improvements in Toys; and I do declarethe following to be a `full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will` enable others` skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to toys, and more` specifically an improved toy which may` hereafter be lnown asgoldfish pool77 or goldfish pond.` i y One object ci the invention is `to provide an improved game or puzzle comprising a chamber bearing a resemblanceto a pool, one or more shes in the pool, and goal' into which `one of the fishes isadapted to enter. ,1; n l,

Another object is to` provide a` device of this character in which the fishes are supi ported at diierent `levels andcan pass over and under one another.

Another object is to provide an iinprrived toy of this character in which all `the parts can be made and 'assembled at a slight expense, being made principally ofpaper or similar sheet material.

Other objects and advantagesmay `become apparent to persons who readthe following details of description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view yillustr-ating my improved toy or imitation goldfish pool complete. n i y Fig. 2 is a somewhat` enlarged longitudinal vertical` sectional view. n

1 Fig is a horizontal sectional view,vthe section being taken along the line f3-3 of Fig. 2.1 i

Fig. 4 isa transversevertical central sectional view. I i

Fig. 5` is a perspective view `illustrating one of the toy-memberswhich represent or imitate goldfish within thebox which represents the pool.

Referring to these drawings indetail, in which similar reference characters corre#Y spend with similar `parts throughout` the several views,- i i n. A i

. The invention comprises a box having an outer wall 1 which is formed of end and side sections arranged in angular relation to one another and supporting a transparent cover 2. An opaque floor 3 is inclosed by and secured to the lower edges ol the outer wall sections, and a transparent upper floor 4 is supported between ,fthe cover 2 and floor 3 by means of rupper and lowerinner wall` sections 5 and 6, respectively. Each of these inner wall sections comprises a stripof pa per or other sheet material fitted against the inner surfaces of the outer wall sections and provided with curved portions 7 which are spaced fromthe corner recesses orf internal corners `of'th-e outerwall. These inner wall sections 5 and 6 may be secured tothe outer wall sections at points intermediate lthe corners oit' the latter, thereby adding strength to the box while securing the upper fioor in its position substantially midway between the lower, fioor `and cover, thereby providing upperand lower chambers of substantially equal dimensions. Moreover, `these curved 'portions prevent the` imitation fishes Aor toy-1nembers from entering the internal corners of 4.the box, so that these corf ners cannot `be` utilized to assist in `turning the fisheshorizontally; whereby the internal curved walls render the ,puzz e more difficult to solve.

In the simplest form ofmy invention `l may eliminate thelower chamber, and the invention may include `only a single chamber, a single lish or toy1nember 8 `(such as shown separatclyin Fig. 5) anda single goal member 9, but in the form here described there are at least two of the members S, one in the` upperchamber4 and one in' thelower chamber. However, more than two of the members 8 may be provided, asillustrated, and the members 8 `of the lower chamber` are visible through the 'transparent floor 4- as well as through thetransparent cover 2, while the fish or fishes in theupper chamber are i visible through the transpareiit cover 2 and appears to be floating in water over the Vfishes in the lower chamber. At times there is some difficulty in determining whether a certain .fish` is in the lower or upper chamber, andthis increases the Vpuzzling effect of the device.` i

`Each imitation fish 8 ispreferably` formed of a plane blank of sheet. materialwhich is outwardly curved at opposite edges so as to form a relatively wide front portion, the

rear portion being relatively narrow and preferably formed with concaved edges. This blank `is formed with a sharp or abrupt straight bend extending from end to end along its median line, and the two halves or side plates at opposite sides of this median line are turned at an angle of approximately 60 degrees .to one another. Where these members are formed of paper or cardboard, it is advantageous to secure the side plates in the desired angular relation to Vone another by means of a length of wire or rod 10 which serves as an axle for a spherical which is downwardly and inwardly inclined as more clearly shown in Fig. d. When the forward portions of' the runners 11 thus bear upon the goal member, the box being tilted in the-` direction of the goal vmember,

4the member 8 may be caused to enter the goal or notch of the member 9 Vby tilting the box in the direction of the end farthest from this member 8. Howeveigthe success of the manipulator in thus causing the toy-member to enter Ythe goal requires extreme care and skill in tilting'the box to the proper angles,

Yaccordingv to the exact position of the toymember'with relation to the goal. Moreover, the goal member 9 forms a shield to hide thefishes in the lower chamber, and this feature may be taken advantage of to prevent confusionror optical illusion with reference to the upper and lower toy meinbers." The upwardly and'forwardly'inclined edges of the runners 11 also simulate the head of a" goldfish, and this simulation is im- 1 lproved by providing artificial eyes 12 which may be painted or printed on or attached to the respective -side plates. Moreover, the

f broad portions having the convexed edges combine to simulate the main body portion of a fish, while the relatively narrow rear por-tion 13 simulates the tail of a fish. The runners 11 co-act, one at a time, with the roller 10a, forA supporting the fish in its upright position and permitting it to slide and'l roll on the fioor asdeseribed hereinafter.

When transparent paper is employed for Vforming the Vfishes or toy-members 8, the

same may be gilded or tinted so as to simulate the-coloring of real goldfish, and the rod 10 vmay be fixed to `the side plates for retaining them in thepproper relative posi tion, as previously mentioned; but when sheet metaheelluloid or the like are employed for making the imitation fishes, the

rod 10 may be rotatably mounted in the side plates 'and have theY rollerl()a fixed thereon.

Referring to the goal member 9, it will be seen that the notch 14 thereof, which constitutes the goal proper, is approximately the same shape and size as the cross sectional area of one of the imitation fishes. heilig downwardly flared and only sufiiciently large for the fish to easily enter when properly,r positioned in front of the notch 1awhcn the front end or head is elevated as shown in Fig. 2. The height of each chamber is but slightly greater than the height of the fish when in its normal position shown in Fig. 2. and it is extremely difficult or impossible :for one of the fishes to become inverted in either of the chambers because of its cross sectional angular formation, the inclined sides of the angle being wider than the distance between the floors or between the upper floor and cover.

The goal member -9 is preferably .formed of a blank of paper, celluloid or other sheet material, and this blank is formed with a horizontal upper portion 15 and a. vertical fiange 16, the latter being embraced between the outer wall 1 and the innei` wall 5. Vheu this goal member is made of paper its upper portion 51 may be pasted to an upper inwardly extending fiange 1T which suppoits the transparent cover 2, and the lower edge of ther goal member may be pasted or otherwise secured to the transparent floor 1. However, when the goal members are made of metal, Celluloid or other sheet metal capable of having permanent set no paste or other securing means is necessary for securing such member in place.

The outer wall 1, the bottoni fooi' and edge portions of the cover 2 may be covered with an outer lining 18 of cloth or paper in imitation of leather or the like, and a carpet 19 of paper may cover the floor 3, this carpet being preferably oiled or glazed so as to permit the toy-members S to more noiselessly thereon.

' From the foregoing description it should be understood that the box having the trans parent floor and cover is intended to simulate a pool or pond of water in which the fishes or toy-members 8 appear to swim at the different levels, this appearance of real fishes in real water being a matter of' primary interest to perso-ns who enjoy toys, etc. Moreover, the difficulty and patience required in placing one of the imitation fishes in the goal enhances the value of the device as an eiitertaiiiei.

The imitation fishes are entirely protected against contact with any and everything external of the box, so that they can not be moved except manipulation of the box. When the box is tilted in different directions, each fish turns in dideient directions about the point of its spherical roller that touches the fioor, thereby simulating the inotions of actual fishes. \`This turning of the .lull

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